The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners has scheduled a public hearing two weeks from now to gain input on a possible countywide road millage.

As frustrations persist over a lack of state funding for road repairs, there's talk of levying a new local tax of anywhere from 0.4 mills to 1 mill for roads.

Andy LaBarre

"No one wants to just raise taxes for fun here, but all nine of us have heard, 'My God, can you help us on these roads?' " said Commissioner Andy LaBarre, D-Ann Arbor.

"We can always do nothing, but I think doing nothing blows out tires, screws up suspensions, and it's just awful."

Commissioners voted 5-3 at their meeting Wednesday night to schedule a public hearing for May 21, with dissent from Commissioners Felicia Brabec, Ronnie Peterson, and Yousef Rabhi. Rolland Sizemore Jr. was not present for the vote.

Brabec, D-Pittsfield Township, said she thinks it's premature to hold a hearing before the details have been worked out, but she agrees something needs to be done about the condition of roads in the county.

"The roads are a problem," she said. "We need to figure out a solution for more funding. We're not getting help from the state."

Felicia Brabec

A road millage can be levied by the county under state law — specifically Act 283 of 1909 — without voter approval.

Brabec said it's her understanding that an Act 283 millage would have to be approved at the county board's annual meeting in October if that's the route the county takes.

Another option that's being discussed is to put a countywide road millage on the Nov. 5 ballot for voters to decide.

"I could go either way," said Commissioner Alicia Ping, R-Saline. "Whatever's going to get us the money the quickest would be the way I would like to go. If it's easier to go to a vote of the people, I think we could do that."

A draft resolution has been circulated to county commissioners for a four-year, 0.5-mill tax that could go on the ballot and raise $7.15 million in its first year.

Some commissioners are hopeful a solution can be identified to fix the roads this year, though it's still unclear whether the county could approve an Act 283 millage, levy it in December, and then use the funds to reimburse agencies like the Road Commission for work done this summer. Some of the technical issues surrounding the matter are being reviewed by the county's attorney.

Alicia Ping

Commissioner Dan Smith, R-Northfield Township, brought forward a resolution Wednesday night that would authorize levying a 1-mill tax under Act 283 in December, but it was postponed until May 21. It's estimated that could raise $14.3 million.

Smith said he's confident the county can find a way to do the work this year based on funding that would come in later from the millage.

"The roads are terrible and people just want something done, and this may not be the best mechanism — it's a property tax without a vote of the people," he said. "But everybody I've talked to has said, 'Fix the roads,' and they're tired of excuses."

Smith's resolution would set aside half the funds to be used in the municipality in which the revenue is generated. From there, 10 percent would be used for non-motorized transportation projects such as bicycle lanes and pedestrian paths, with the remaining funds allocated based on use, need and impact to the traveling public.

Dan Smith

Roy Townsend, managing director of the Washtenaw County Road Commission, has prepared a list road projects that could be funded by a 0.4-mill tax under Act 283, which commissioners are also considering. The list shows 44 miles worth of projects costing $5.8 million.

Smith said the 1-mill amount in his resolution was simply a starting point for discussion, as that's the most that can be levied, and he suspects the county will go with something closer to the 0.4-mill proposal from the Road Commission.

Before making any final decisions, LaBarre said the county should wait to see how the state budget plays out in the next few weeks.

"If the state would do what they need to do, we wouldn't have to have this discussion at the local level," he said. "If they're going to take action on a realistic plan that gets us where we need to go, that's probably the best route."

Republican House Speaker Jase Bolger has urged action on a proposal that would dedicate an extra $450 million to Michigan roads and bridges next year and up to $500 million annually by 2018. That's still far short of the $2 billion or more in new annual funding that some estimate is needed for the state's roads.

LaBarre said the Bolger plan is a "decent first step," but it's not a comprehensive solution. He thinks $1.2 billion to $2 billion in new state funding is needed.

LaBarre said the county's Road Commission makes good use of the resources it's provided, but more road funding is definitely needed.

"I'm glad we've got a chance for the public to weigh in in a couple weeks, and I am not at this point willing to vote to go the Act 283 route, but I want to get more information and learn more, and I want to see first what the state does," he said.

"We've heard from constituents about their desperate and sincere wish for action on these roads," he added. "And if we didn't at least look at this, we'd be derelict in our responsibilities."